


Icy Valentine's Day

by cutecookiewithchocolate



Series: Joshaya Meets One-shots [13]
Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hugs, I know it's late, Ice Skating, Josh and Maya don't know each other, Josh has a bad reputation, Josh is a "bad boy", Josh is twenty, Maya doesn't care, Maya feels alone, Maya is sad, Maya is seventeen, Maya's past is really sad, Smackle and Riley try to be good friends, They cheer each other up, Valentine's Day, a little fight between friends, but in reality he's just a softie, but there you have it, cute moments, especially for Joshaya, everything is alright in the end, falling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutecookiewithchocolate/pseuds/cutecookiewithchocolate
Summary: Maya doesn't want to be here, but her best friends dragged her to the rink. She meets someone she wasn't supposed to meet, but he's just the exact kind of trouble she needs. A fight with her friends pushes her right into his arms and makes her heart beat faster, turning this horrible day into a good one.What's so foul about the day?It's Valentine's Day of all days.Romantic ice skating featuring One Direction Lyrics
Relationships: Lucas Friar/Riley Matthews, Maya Hart/Josh Matthews
Series: Joshaya Meets One-shots [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1773460
Comments: 18
Kudos: 32





	1. Just The Right Kind Of Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a Valentine's Day one-shot that came into my mind on Valentine's Day, but it got way longer than I intended to, which is why it took so long to write it.  
> I am still not done with this cute and fluffy story featuring one of my favorite couples. I also couldn't decide on which fandom I should use for this idea, but yesterday I finally decided on Joshaya just because I really love them and I haven't written a one-shot with them in a while.
> 
> So, enjoy this (late) one-shot for Valentine's Day and I'll post the second chapter over the next few days (maybe even tonight). :)

#### Icy Valentine's Day

##### Just The Right Kind Of Trouble

"Please remind me: Why are we here again?" Maya asked for probably the fifth time since she arrived at the rink with her two friends.

  
That had only been five minutes ago. 

  
If there was one place Maya hated, it would be the rink. As she was younger, she always wanted to go ice skating but, since her mother had to work all the time, she never got to skate with kids her age. When her mother got home from work, the evenings were filled with endless apologies and Maya's favorite snacks. She was even allowed to stay awake longer than usual just so they could watch her favorite movie.

  
It never made her happy, though. 

  
She just wanted to spend _one_ day with her mother at the rink and she couldn't even have _that_. When Katy _had_ managed to take her daughter ice skating, it was already dark outside and the place was crowded with rowdy teenagers who just pushed each other around, so Maya was barely even skating because her mother had been too worried she might fall and hurt herself.

So no, the rink was not a place Maya wanted to see _ever again_. Yet here she was, standing right in front of it, and watched people her age holding hands and smiling like the nervous wreck they were. As she took a glance to her right she saw the exact opposite of her current mood - Riley and Isadora were smiling so bright, it was a wonder they were still standing and not fainted on the floor from pure exhaustion just because they were smiling so much. 

The blonde could only roll her eyes at her friends and tried not to envy them for being so thrilled about ice skating simply because they could. They practically grew up on the ice. 

Riley's parents had offered Maya, more than once, to take her with them but she always declined, saying that her mother promised her to take her that day and that they would see each other then anyways. 

  
That day never came. 

  
Maya tried to not let it get to her but she couldn't help it. It was rather frustrating and, since Riley and Isadora spent their whole childhood here, they were quite famous among the crowd - that wasn't helping either. Every five seconds someone came over to them just to greet the two girls and then proceeded with awkwardly asking who the third girl was. That was another problem; they all knew each other. 

At least it didn't appear as though that Riley and Isadora were ashamed of her being there with them.

 _After all, they dragged me into this hell hole,_ Maya thought bitterly. 

"Come on, Maya. Could you at least _pretend_ to be happy?" Riley asked with a smile so big, it almost fell off her face and down onto the floor. "I mean, this place is wonderful."

  
"Yeah, it is one of the best places in town," Isadora added with an even bigger smile than Riley's if that was possible.

Maya had a hard time trying to force a smile onto her face but she would do anything for her two best friends, so she tried, and that had to be worth something, right? _Right?_

"Sorry," the blonde mumbled, more to herself than to her friends because they were busy observing, more like staring, at other people again. _Damn them and their short-lived attention span_. 

That thought almost brought a real smile onto her face. 

Almost. 

"It's so lovely here, isn't it?" the brunette next to Maya asked with a content sigh at the end. 

  
"Yeah, they've really outdone themselves this year," Isadora said with a glint in her eyes that usually only appeared when she was lecturing you about her latest science project. 

Maya took a look around the place and almost vomited right there as she took in the heart-shaped balloons in red and white and the many, many heart-shaped festoons all around the rink. The light was a mix of orange and yellow and made the tent look rather warm and cozy despite the coldness outside. There was another section for ice skating just outside and, from where Maya stood, she could see couples skating there as well. 

With a roll of her eyes, she tore her eyes away from the happy smiles and laughs and took in the sitting area where she'd really like to be now. It was quite empty, only a few teens and adults enjoying the delicious food from the booths and sharing a few laughs here and there. 

Desperately she tried to find familiar faces, others than just Riley and Isadora, but she could only see a handful of people out of her school year. The others were younger or older than her so she didn't know them. 

_This is only getting more frustrating by the minute. Did they have to drag me here on Valentine's Day?_

"Have you spotted him?" The desperation in Riley's question pulled Maya out of her self-pitying thoughts. "I can't find him anywhere," she huffed impatiently and stomped her foot like a child. Isadora's head snapped towards Riley and as her eyes met Maya's for a second, the blonde merely raised an eyebrow at Riley's antic behavior.

  
"No, we haven't. _Yet_ ," the black-haired girl tried to sound reassuring but she had never been the strong one in that area, so it did little to nothing to calm Riley's racing heart. 

  
"Don't worry, it will be fine," Maya said in an almost bored tone. She had to say these words way too often, especially to Riley. The girl in question nodded her head slightly but kept the disappointed look on her face, still trying to find him in the crowd.

  
"How about some food before we hit the ice?" Isadora threw her left arm over Riley's shoulders and dragged her towards one of the many food booths. Maya trailed behind, still trying to find an excuse as to why she can't be here any longer without sounding too much like a coward who just doesn't want to be alone at a place overflowed with couples on Valentine's Day. 

Because she wasn't a coward. 

No.

She just didn't like this place.

It wasn't because she was, apparently, the only one single here.

It was not.

"Maya!"

Her head turned around and she was greeted with the sight of a grinning Lucas, holding a bunch of red roses in one hand and a small heart-shaped card in the other. 

"Hey, Rick," she greeted him with a nickname she knew he hated. Lucas rolled his eyes but still smiled at her.

  
"Didn't expect you here. How are you?" There he was again; the typical over-friendly boy who always grinned at everyone, no matter how much they annoyed him.

  
"Ugh, what did I tell you? Stop grinning so hard, it freaks me out," she teased him, smiling slightly. Lucas laughed at her response and shook his head. 

  
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I forgot. I'll do better next time, I promise," he joked with a smile. The blonde rolled her eyes once again but couldn't help but laugh a little as he bowed his head. 

  
"Anyways, have you seen-"

  
"Lucas!" Riley's voice cut through the crowd like a knife and it only took two seconds 'til she was jumping into her boyfriend's arms and squealing happily at the sight of him. The poor guy could barely hold her with all the gifts he had for her still clutched in his hands. 

Isadora ran up to them, completely out of breath. As she spoke, it was only one word at a time, "I - tried - to - stop - her," she paused and took a deep breath, "but she was so fast." 

  
"You okay there?" Maya asked her friend, slightly concerned at the sight of her trying to catch her breath. Isadora nodded and bent at her knees, supporting herself with her hands.

  
"I will be," she offered her friend a small smile that the blonde returned.

  
"Lucas, I was doubting you'd be here," Riley exclaimed sadly. She seemed to be completely fine although she just ran a few seconds ago. 

  
"Why would you doubt that, Honey?" Maya stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She needed to find something else to do, otherwise, they would fall out soon enough, she was sure of it.

  
"I didn't find you as I got here and that was hours ago," the brunette pouted and looked at her boyfriend as though they haven't seen each other in years. 

  
"We've been here for ten minutes, at most," Isadora sounded offended and straightened herself once again. "Not, that it matters," she muttered under her breath and Maya couldn't stop the small chuckle that came out of her. Riley glanced over at her best friends and shot them a glare, not that Riley Matthews could seriously glare at someone. The girls laughed for a few seconds and Lucas just stood there, completely confused but smiling nevertheless.

  
While Lucas gifted Riley with every Valentine's Day cliché he could come up with, Maya and Isadora went to the booths, so they could get something to eat and also to give the couple a little privacy. 

"They are so cute together, don't you think?" the black-haired girl asked with a dazed smile and her eyes fixed on Riley and Lucas.

  
"If you refer to the urge to vomit I get, every time I look at them, as cute, then yes," Maya answered with a satisfied smile as she saw Isadora glaring at her. 

  
"Oh, come on, May'. Give us a break," Isadora whined. "It's okay if you don't want a boyfriend but you shouldn't always protest when you see others who are happily in love." Maya turned to her completely then, a small fire burning in her ocean blue eyes. 

  
The storm wasn't far away.

  
"And, what exactly, do you mean by that, Smackle?" Maya gritted her teeth. Her friend sighed deeply and sent her an apologetic look. 

  
"Look, don't take this the wrong way, okay?" Maya just raised an eyebrow at her friend. "It's just... You kinda seem like you hate being alone-"

  
"I'm not alone," the blonde interrupted quickly. "I have you. And I have Riley," her voice didn't come out as confident, as she would have liked. It seemed like Isadora noticed that as well. "That's enough for me."

  
"And that's fine, Maya. It is," her friend agreed with a firm nod. "But Riley and I never talk about our boyfriends when you're around because we feel like it might be-" she stopped again, looking for the right word. "...insensitive..." Maya let out a short, humorless laugh. 

_Really? They think_ that's _insensitive?_

"You just seem so... lonely, and..." Isadora trailed off and stared at the floor beneath her feet. 

  
"And?" the blonde urged impatiently.

  
"I don't want you to be mad," her friend pouted slightly. Maya wanted to roll her eyes again but she refused to let it get to her.

  
"No, what else? Seems like you and Riley already spent a great deal talking about my non-existent love life, so just tell me already," Maya raised her voice a little, already hating that she was fighting with one of her best friends on this horrible day. 

  
Isadora took a deep breath and finally raised her eyes to meet Maya's before she answered, "Riley and I think that you're kind of a hypocrite."

  
"Excuse me?"

  
"What? You wanted an answer, I gave you one. Don't act so surprised, May'. This is just how it is," the black-haired girl retorted, moving a little forward in the line. "I mean, you always act like being in love is the worst thing in the whole world-"

  
"Because it is," Maya interrupted her friend once again. "How could anybody like that? It's horrible to just look at people kissing each other or holding hands and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. It makes me want to rip my hair out every time," she exclaimed in one breath and was now breathing heavily. Her friend stood next to her with wide eyes and her mouth slightly opened.

  
"Just, wow..." she breathed out. " _This_ is what I was talking about, it's rather sad, honestly," Isadora laughed slightly and shook her head at Maya. _She has the nerve to laugh right now?!_

  
"You should just shut your mouth now, Isadora," the blonde muttered angry, keeping her eyes straight forward.

  
"No, you wanted to know the truth. There you have it," she shrugged innocently. "You act like you hate affection and everything that involves it but, in reality, you're just moping because you're the only one without a partner," she finally said and then moved forward as the line moved once again. 

  
Maya didn't though.

  
She just stood still, it was like the floor was keeping here there. 

  
Smackle moved with the line and left her friend alone. _This has to be a joke._

The blonde turned her head, searching for Riley but she was nowhere to be seen. _Probably snuck away with her precious Lucas just to make out with him,_ Maya shuddered at that thought. 

"Hey, Blondie! Get out of the way!" someone shouted from behind. She huffed in annoyance but refused to move her feet. _Yeah,_ she thought sarcastically, _Valentine's Day is so lovely and full of love._ "Hey! Are you daft?" 

  
With a roll of her eyes, she turned towards the source of the voice. "What do you want?" her eyes landed on a group of guys standing behind her. She startled slightly at how many they were. A few of them were glaring at her, others had a full smirk on their face though it kind of lost the effect it was supposed to have since they were all clad in thick winter coats and huge caps. 

  
Usually, she didn't mind her height. Now, as so many large guys were standing in front of her, she questioned, if it really wasn't that big of a deal as to how small she is. Her eyes glanced at every single one of them briefly, before they landed on the boy in the middle - probably the leader. 

He had short brown hair but still long enough to look messy. It was hidden under a grey beanie and matched perfectly with the grey sweater he was wearing. It brought out the blue of his eyes and she was sure, if he didn't look so intimidating, she could have lost herself in them. Black jeans with a few holes in them completed the look and as her eyes stopped on his face once again, she saw he was smirking. 

It wasn't in a taunting way though, more like a smug one because- 

Oh god.

She had checked him out. 

Right there, in front of everyone. 

  
Maya wasn't one to be embarrassed easily. She was collected and cool and had everything under control, always. You never saw Maya Hart blush over something, simply because she didn't do it. 

Now though, she was sure her face was burning from the distressing situation. She wanted to break the eye contact but his gaze was so intense, it was like his eyes alone kept her from just walking away. 

He appeared to be older than her and everything about him screamed trouble. 

"Maya!" she heard in the distance. Someone was calling her but she was unable to move. Her eyes were still focused on the boy as he looked her up and down. His smirk only intensified. 

  
"Maya," someone said her name again and it was much closer than it had been before. Finally, she tore her eyes away from his heated ones, only to meet Riley's concerned ones. Isadora was next to her and even Lucas was there, though his eyes were entirely focused on someone else. 

He was glaring at the boy who only seemed to be amused at the group. 

  
"Josh, I told you to leave her alone," Riley turned to him, sounding like someone just insulted her favorite stuffed animal.

  
"Relax, Doey. I didn't do anything to your little friend," he said in a calm voice, never taking his eyes off Maya.

  
"I told you not to call me that anymore!" Riley said furiously before she took Maya's hand and dragged her far away from the group. Isadora had to tear Lucas away to prevent him from starting a fight. 

  
Riley stopped and turned to her friend, looking over her shoulder quickly to see Josh and his friends watching them with huge interest. "I'm so sorry, Maya. I should've warned you before we got here," she grimaced slightly.

  
"Warned me? Of what?" 

  
"My uncle. Gosh, I'm so sorry," the brunette apologized, over and over again. "Honestly, I didn't think he'd be here today."

  
"He's... your uncle?" Maya asked confused. She didn't know that. Riley sighed deeply as Isadora and Lucas finally arrived. 

  
"He is. I just never talk about him because he's the worst and I don't spend much time with him anyway," she explained quickly. "I'm only forced to interact with him when he's home for the holidays, you know?" Riley explained further. "At the rink, I can mostly ignore him. Dad said, I have to be, at least, civil with him and I can manage that as long as I don't have to talk to him. So the easiest option is to just ignore him when he's here."

  
"Oh," Maya breathed out. She didn't know what else to say. It was quite a lot her best friend dropped just now. 

  
"Honestly, what is he doing here today?" the brunette asked no one in particular. 

  
"I don't know," Isadora replied with a sigh. "He never seemed to be the type for a girlfriend," she shrugged. "Not, that he could keep one," she added with a laugh.

  
"Wait, _you knew?"_ Maya turned to her other friend with wide eyes. The black-haired girl cursed under her breath. Clearly, she hadn't meant to admit that but she had and Maya was even more furious now. Isadora looked rather guilty.

  
"I'm sorry, Maya," was all that she said. The blonde huffed out a laugh at them.

  
"No, it's okay, really," she said with a sarcastic voice.

  
"Really?" Riley looked up with hope etched into her chocolate-brown eyes. Maya shook her head angrily.

  
"No!" the brunette flinched. "How could this be okay? Did you ever think about telling me?" Maya voiced the question but she didn't want an answer.

  
"Maya-"

  
"I don't wanna hear it." With a final look at her so-called friends who all found their shoes more interesting than her, she turned and walked away. Angry, she walked over to one of the empty benches and sat down, pulling the brown cap from her head so she could play with the bobble on top of it. 

  
"Stupid thing, I didn't even want to wear it," she muttered to herself. "I didn't even want to come here, at all." She looked up and saw her friends but they weren't alone anymore - Farkle, Smackle's boyfriend, had joined them. They all talked happily with each other and laughed before heading towards the locker rooms. As they came out again, they all had their skates on and made their way out of the tent to skate outside. 

Riley cast one last glance at Maya but made no move towards her. Instead, she left with the others and disappeared among the large crowd. Maya scoffed at the whole situation and wondered, what exactly went wrong that day.

  
_They brought you here but you didn't want to come here. They talked you into this and now, they don't even spend time with you._

_I could just leave._

  
"No," she muttered to herself. _Then my mother will ask questions and insist that we spend the day together. No, thank you. I'd rather sit here all day and watch people who are way happier than me, honestly._

She snorted at the conversation she was having with herself. _This is getting ridiculous._

She drove a hand through her blond hair and stared at her black beat-up sneakers while dangling her legs a little. Maya felt like a small child all over again and she hated to be the one left alone. 

"Hey," a male voice broke through her mental conversation. She looked up quickly and saw the brown-haired boy - Josh - again. He had his arms thrown over the railing and rested his head on top of them, staring at her like she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. He looked so different than when she first saw him like ten minutes ago. 

Then he looked like the typical bad boy out of a teen movie, appearing as though the whole world was lying at his feet and that smirk, _that damn smirk._

Now he was smiling softly at her and looked so innocent, it made her heart skip a little beat. _What the hell just happened?_

  
"Hi," she offered, sounding a little unsure. 

  
He chuckled at the diffidence in her voice and smirked at her, "No need to shy away from me now, blondie."

Maya felt the blush creeping up on her cheeks and mentally cursed herself for being such a nervous wreck. _Since when do I do these things?_

With another chuckle he climbed up the stairs and sat down next to her, leaving almost no space in-between them. He stared at her for a few seconds before offering his hand. She took it carefully and shook it. "I haven't been able to introduce myself properly," he started with a smile. "I'm Joshua Matthews but everyone knows me as Josh."

  
She could feel the corners of her lips curling up into a smile before replying, "I'm Maya Hart." His smile grew a little. 

  
"Well, Maya, it's nice to finally meet you," he didn't let go of her hand immediately. "I've heard a few things about you over the years." That surprised her.

  
"You did?" He nodded a few times, biting down onto his lower lip.

  
"Yeah. Whenever I was at my brother's home, Riley was talking about a blond girl that was all alone at Christmas," he gave her a sad smile and let go of her hand. Maya hated how much she missed the warmth his grip gave her.

  
"Oh," she looked away. "Was that all she said about me?"

  
"No, there was a lot more," he told her. Maya looked at him quickly and saw him smirking again. "She always talked about how funny said girl is, how she always did what she wanted and how literally nothing could faze her." Maya was shocked and Josh probably saw it because he laughed loudly at her facial expression.

  
"I didn't know she talked so much about me," Maya said after a short while.

  
"I don't know if she always does that. She just talked a lot about you when I was there," Josh replied with a smile and shrugged with one shoulder, gazing over the rink and the many people skating around. 

  
"Why don't you two get along?" the blonde looked at him, trying not to show how much courage she needed to ask that question. Josh raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes on the rink. 

  
"I don't know," he said honestly. "I guess she doesn't like me very much. When I was younger, I tried to spend time with her but she either yelled at me or ignored me completely, so I just went along with it."

  
"So..." Maya started, sounding amused. "You just, what? Try to get a rise out of her, whenever you get the chance to do so?" 

  
Josh looked at her then, amusement twinkling in his stormy eyes, a smile playing on his lips as he replied, "Well, yes, of course. Isn't that what anyone would do?" Maya started to giggle and just couldn't stop it. 

  
"I mean, I'd do it," she offered with a careless shrug and another giggle. He stared at the different people in front of them but she still caught the grin on his face.

  
It was quiet for a while but it wasn't uncomfortable. It seemed like Josh wanted to keep talking to her because he suddenly asked, "Are you just going to sit here all day?" Maya looked at him with a small grin.

  
"That's the plan. I didn't even want to come here in the first place, so why should I skate?" she looked down onto her cap firmly placed on her lap. 

  
"Then why are you here?"

_Yes, Maya. Why are you even here?_

"Uhm, my friends sort of talked me into coming with them, although I don't know why they would drag me here on Valentine's Day," she scoffed. "I mean, why did it have to be today of all days? Did they plan this just so they could rub their perfect relationships into my face?" she questioned, more to herself than to Josh. He listened to her and it felt rather nice to have someone who didn't feel the need to try to talk it better. He just sat there and accepted it - she never had that. 

  
"I get it," he said. "Riley probably told you that I'm a huge dick, who jumps from girl to girl, am I right?" he asked with a grin. He probably wanted to appear as though it didn't hurt him that it was, in fact, the way his niece thought about him. His eyes told Maya a different story.

  
_"...He's the worst," Riley had said._

  
"It's okay if she did. It's what she tells everyone about me," he shrugged slightly. Maya's brow furrowed. _How could you be okay with that?_

"In what way is that okay?" she couldn't keep the anger out of her voice.

  
"I'm used to it - don't look at me like that, I am fine with this," he tried to convince her but she just shook her head at him. 

  
"That's not okay, Josh!" his pupils dilated as she used his name for the first time. "I can't believe Riley would do something like that."

  
Josh cleared his throat quickly as he leaned back on the bench, "Maya, calm down. It wasn't my intention to destroy the way you see your best friend." Maya just glared at him.

  
"Would you stop trying to play it cool? It's not okay," she exclaimed, getting angrier by the second. The sudden laughter next to her stopped the adrenaline running through her veins for a short second. "Are you laughing at me, Josh?"

  
"N-no," he managed to get out. Maya huffed in annoyance.

  
"You _are_ laughing at me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. 

  
"Okay, you caught me. I _am_ laughing at you," he admitted with a huge grin. "But not in the way you think," Josh added quickly upon seeing her pouting face.

  
"Enlighten me," she laughed sarcastically.

  
"I just thought that you look adorable when you're mad at someone." _It really should be forbidden to look this handsome and to say these cute things,_ Maya's thoughts and racing heart betrayed her once again. She was a blushing mess. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul about this," Josh whispered into her ear and Maya was sure her heart would beat out of her chest any second now. 

  
"Hrmph."

Josh leaned forward again and grabbed Maya's cap out of her lap. The blonde only stared at him confused but didn't question him. Josh smirked briefly at her before putting the cap back onto her head and over her blonde locks. Carefully he adjusted it on her head and moved a few strains of her hair around. Maya felt speechless, like nothing she could have said would have been the right thing to say.

"Come on." Josh held out his hand for her while standing up. He waited for her to take it. 

  
"What?" she asked dumbfounded.

  
"We're at a rink and you're sitting on a bench. Something's not right here," he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, pulling her from the bench. "So we're gonna skate, together. Now."

  
 _"Now?"_ Maya's eyes widened and she tried to stop Josh from pulling her towards the locker rooms but he was too strong. 

  
"Yes, _now._ Come on, Maya. Where's the brave girl who talked back to me today?" The smirk on his face would never leave her mind ever again. _What the hell, Maya!?_ "By the way, I never had anyone who talked back to me. You kind of ruined my reputation here," he joked.

  
"Did I? Well, my apologies, that certainly wasn't my intention." Josh laughed heartily and grabbed a pair of skates on their way to an empty bench.

  
"Here, try them on." He let go of her hand and pushed the skates towards her.

  
"You don't even know which size I need," the blonde protested but sat down nevertheless. As the skates fitted perfectly, she was shocked and stared into Josh's smug face. 

  
"So?" he pressed, grinning from ear to ear. 

  
"They fit," she mumbled as quietly as she could but couldn't stop the smile from breaking through her glare.

  
"Awesome, let's go!" Josh pulled her up from the bench and dragged her into the main hall again. 

People around them stared openly at the pair, shocked at the sight of Joshua Matthews holding hands with a girl. Especially the girls seemed to be jealous of Maya and looked like they were ready to kill just to be in her place, at least once. 

  
"Uhm, Josh? Just what kind of a reputation do you have here?" Maya asked as the brown-haired boy pulled her onto the ice with him, still holding her hand.

  
"Do you care?" he asked, starting to skate around with Maya on his arm, completely ignoring the way people stared and pointed at them. 

  
"No, I don't," she told him honestly and the smile he gave her then, warmed her heart differently. "What about your friends? Aren't they missing you?"

  
"Pff, I'd hardly call these people my friends," he scoffed, slowing down a little. "They're just guys I know from my old school here. My real friends are at college."

That made her stop entirely.

"You're in college?" Josh's eyebrows shot up so quickly, she almost missed it.

  
"I am..." he started to skate again and pulled Maya along with him. "You didn't know?" The blonde shook her head in response. "Oh."

  
"Riley never told me about you. I only found out today she has an uncle," she explained to him, still feeling somewhat betrayed and left out since she was the only one in their friend group who didn't know about Joshua Matthews.

  
"Wait, seriously?" he looked at her shocked, and wasn't paying any attention to his skating. Someone bumped into him slightly and it was the first time Maya saw him scowling.

  
"I'm so sorry, Josh," the guy apologized as soon as he saw who he had bumped into. Josh only nodded at him before continuing his way with Maya.

  
"Right, where were we?" he smiled briefly at her. 

  
"Are they all like that with you?"

  
"Like what?"

  
"Scared," Maya snorted slightly as she said it. 

  
"Mostly the younger ones," he shrugged and flashed her a small grin that grew even bigger after she rolled her eyes at him. 

  
"So, if you're already at college... How old are you?" the blonde got back to their original conversation.

  
"I am twenty," Josh looked a little uncertain and it was kind of adorable to see him so nervous. "You?"

  
Maya's mouth formed into a thin line as she tried to gather the courage to tell him. It was kind of a problem for her and she was scared to destroy this- whatever this was. Finally, she told him, "I'm seventeen."

  
Josh hummed in response and she almost didn't hear him through the music filling the tent. It was some love song she has heard a few times on the radio. Maya tried her best to keep up with Josh but he was an expert at skating, it seemed. Her fingers were still intertwined with his in a tight grip, she hadn't even noticed. _Have we been holding hands the whole time? When did he...? Huh. God, Maya, what is happening to you?_

  
The song changed and it pulled her out of her thoughts before she could have gotten lost in them completely. 

_I might never be your knight in shinin' armor..._

"Is that One Direction?" Josh sounded almost offended.

_I might never be the one you take home to mother..._

"It is," Maya answered and she would've loved to take a photo of his expression just then. 

_And I might never be the one who brings you flowers..._

He was deep in thought as he listened to the song like he had to make a decision and couldn't quite figure out what to do. It made her a little nervous but she tried to brush it off. 

They skated further into the middle of the rink, the song softly playing through the speakers as they made a turn to the left which caused their shoulders to bump against each other. Josh glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and she had lost count on how many times he had smiled at her already.

_When I first saw you_   
_From across the room_   
_I could tell that you were curious, oh, yeah..._

She giggled quietly into her hand as the song went on and felt giddy inside. _Is this what it feels like to develop a crush?_ she wondered. 

_Girl, I hope you're sure_   
_What you're looking for_   
_'Cause I'm not good at making promises..._

Maya squealed as Josh suddenly disappeared from her side, his hands gripped her waist steadily and he pulled the small girl in front of him. He laughed softly into her ear before whispering, "Don't worry, I've got you."

_Then, baby, I'm perfect_   
_Baby, I'm perfect for you..._

Maya's heart jumped happily inside of her chest and the smile on her face couldn't have been any bigger. _Josh, what are you doing to me?_

_I might never be the hands you put your heart in_   
_Or the arms that hold you any time you want them_   
_But that doesn't mean that we can't live here in the moment_   
_'Cause I can be the one you love from time to time..._

Feeling confident again, Maya put her hands above Josh's that were still tight around her waist and she felt his grip tighten a little. Josh placed his chin on her shoulder and she practically felt the smile on his face, it matched hers just perfectly. 

She never wanted this moment to end. 


	2. Falling Like The Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter is finally here! So that means this one-shot is finally done. :D
> 
> I hope you enjoy this. :)

#### Falling Like The Stars

Nothing lasts forever. 

  
Especially the happiest moments end too soon. 

  
Maya knows that all too well. 

Still, it was the happiest she had felt in a long time. This was something she would never forget and secretly she hoped, there would be many, many more moments with Joshua Matthews. 

Maya turned her head so she could look at the boy who had managed to turn her whole world upside down in a matter of less than an hour. 

Josh's smile was still in place and it grew as he turned to look at her as well. This was the closest they had been so far and Maya finally knew what it felt like to have someone looking at you the way Josh looked at her just then. 

  
_How is it possible to feel like this just because someone looks at you?_

  
The look that makes your heart race, makes it beat so loud and frantic as you have never experienced before in your life; that causes a special kind of warmth to bloom in your chest, that you can't get from anywhere else; a feeling so strong that you can feel in your whole body and that lingers there for days; certain dizziness that refuses to leave you alone, to let you sleep at night. 

Maya never wanted to lose that feeling. 

They skated until the song slowly faded away, followed by yet another love song. With every passing second, they got slower but holding on to each other just the same as before. Maya got used to people whispering behind their back and for once she didn't care, not even a little bit. 

A few wolf whistles stopped them in their tracks and burst the small bubble they had lost themselves in. Maya's brow furrowed as she tried to make out the source but couldn't find anyone. She took a look at Josh and saw him smirking at someone behind her. He looked briefly at her and gestured at a few guys on the sides of the rink. Maya recognized them from earlier; they were standing right behind Josh as he told her to get out of his way. 

  
Josh let go of her waist and instead intertwined their hands once again, leading her towards the group. The closer they got to his mates, the larger his smirk became and Maya didn't know what to think of that. She didn't know them, so it was foreign territory for her to walk on and she tried not to let it show while still trying to acknowledge the fact that she was as much of a stranger to them as they were to her.

They were almost there as she heard, once again, someone yelling her name from afar. Maya's head turned slightly and she almost fell over herself as she saw her best friend hastily waving her hands through the air, trying to get the blonde's attention. Riley looked furious like she was about to explode any second; Smackle stood next to her, wrapped up in Farkle's arms and looking as though someone told her that she didn't win the award for the best science project this year; Farkle's mouth hung open as if he stood right next to his girlfriend after she got the devastating news; Lucas had his fists clenched and his head turned bright red. _What is wrong with them?_

"Hey, bro!" a deep male voice greeted Josh before giving him a clap onto his shoulder. Various boys exchanged a bro hug with him while saying their greetings with smirks directed at Maya. Though she wasn't noticing any of that. 

  
"Hey," the brown-haired boy greeted them happily before turning to Maya. "I want you all to meet someone," he announced and tugged lightly at her hand. The blonde's head turned around quickly, sending her blonde waves flying into the air. A few strains hit Josh into his face during the process, causing his mates to laugh and Maya to apologize.

  
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Josh." He just waved his free hand around, dismissing her apology.

  
"It's alright, don't worry." She was still unsure but the smile he sent her washed away her worries. Josh nodded at the group in front of them, waiting for something to happen. The blonde's eyes widened and she quickly took a glance at her friends, still waiting on the sidewalk with their eyes glued to her and Josh. The boy next to her followed her gaze and his eyes hardened immediately, sensing Maya's discomfort. 

Her blue eyes snapped back onto his face as she bit down onto her lower lip due to nervousness. He let out a frustrated sigh and squeezed her hand. 

"If you want, you can join them," he didn't sound like it was okay for him if she just left him there. "I already had an amazing time today, Maya. Thank you for that, truly," she smiled at his words. "Though I can't keep you with me forever, I must say, and I mean it, I'd really love to," his pupils dilated again and the blonde swallowed visibly. "Go to your friends. We'll meet again sometime," he whispered into her ear. 

Maya looked back to her friends and saw them shaking their heads and waving her over to them. Her brow's furrowed as she thought about which decision to make. Determined to do what she wants, like she always does, she shook her head and ignored the way how they screamed her name even louder. Maya turned back to Josh, who was smirking at her with affection in his eyes. A small smile and a firm nod from her reassured Josh, that she was staying with him and the boy sighed in relief. 

"Hi, I'm Maya," she introduced herself to the group of boys who had been silent the whole time, just watching with interest. As she told them her name, they all smiled at her - no smirk, just a warm smile.

They all introduced themselves and she shook their hands, smiling brightly. The last one even hugged her briefly and the blush on his cheeks told her, that he didn't plan on doing that. Next to her, she could hear Josh's growling and it only intensified her smile.

  
"Okay, no more hugging!" Josh exclaimed quickly, keeping his eyes on the boy who had hugged Maya. The poor guy nodded his head a few times and apologized to her and Josh.

  
"Don't worry, it's okay," she whispered to him and was pleased to see as some of the tension left his face. Josh, who had heard her, glared at her. Maya shrugged innocently at him and formed her mouth into one of her sweetest smiles while he rolled his eyes. The smile still broke free and her heart made a happy jump in her chest. 

The boys talked for a few minutes, including Maya into the conversations as much as they could. They were all nice to her and it was easy to make her laugh. A few jokes and laughs later they started to bump into each other for fun. It made Maya laugh to watch these boys, who were older than her, having fun like small children. 

She didn't look back at her friends even once. If she did she knew, what they would look like. I _t's my decision with whom I spend my time_ , she gazed at Josh pushing one of his friends with a huge grin on his face, _and he's definitely worth it._

On the other side stood Riley, confusion, and angriness written all over her face. The brunette watched her best friend talking and laughing, _yes, laughing_ , with her uncle and his stupid, stupid friends.

"She ignored us." A heartbeat later, "How could she just ignore us?!"

  
"Riley-"

  
"I mean, all I did was trying to _look out_ for her and what is _she doing?"_ the brunette breathed out a laugh without any humor in it. "She just ignores it."

Farkle and Lucas exchanged a look and then shrugged at each other. 

  
"I could skate over and kick their asses," Lucas offered with a small smile but his girlfriend shook her head at him. 

  
"No, Lucas. They're too many of them. I also don't want you to get hurt," she explained with frustration. 

  
"What if we just let her be?" It was Farkle who spoke then. Three pairs of eyes stared at him with an incalculable look in them, it unnerved Farkle. 

  
"Have you lost your damn mind?" Smackle asked through gritted teeth, looking him dead in the eye. He smiled nervously at his girlfriend. 

  
"I'm just saying. Riley, your uncle hasn't done anything to harm Maya."

  
"Yet." It was clear that Riley's mind couldn't be changed easily. "You don't know him as much as I do, Farkle."

  
"Is that so?" Farkle asked with raised eyebrows. "Funny you'd say that, Riley. Because if I remember correctly, and usually I do, you've never spent much time with him. So... how exactly would you know _anything_ about him? Hm?" The brunette seemed to be speechless because she knew that her friend was right.

She would never admit that though. 

"Farkle," she started, almost pleading with him. "I... Look, I heard lots of things about my uncle-"

  
"Yeah, you heard them. You didn't see them though," he interrupted her quickly, keeping his voice low. "Riley, you don't even know if these things are true. They are rumors you've heard one too many times and that's why you believe them. You want to believe them just so you have a reason to hate him."

  
"I-Uhm, I..." the brunette stuttered but she could never get out a word properly. Smackle and Lucas looked from Riley to Farkle, over and over again. They didn't say anything though.

  
"Riley," Farkle started softly. "Your uncle seems to be happy with Maya. I mean, I've seen him quite often over the last few years and I ever only saw him smirking or scowling. Today I've seen him smile, _a real smile,_ Riley." Farkle offered her a small smile. "Have you ever seen him smile before?"

Riley didn't say anything, her voice was lost in-between the wave of shock and guilt that had settled deep into her veins. Her eyes were fixed on the floor just beneath Farkle's feet and slowly, she shook her head in response. 

"Thought so," Farkle said with a grim expression on his face. 

One of his friends got pushed against Josh accidentally whereupon he bumped into Maya. That caught the blonde off guard and in a matter of seconds, she lost her balance and landed with her bum on the ice. Her cry of pain caught her friend's attention and in an instant, Riley, Smackle, and Lucas started to run towards her. Farkle's arm reached out just in time to stop them.

"Farkel! What the hell?" a furious Lucas exclaimed but Farkle only pointed at Maya and Josh.

Josh kneeled next to Maya and held out his hand for her, patting her head affectionately. 

"I'm sorry, Maya," the beanie-wearing boy apologized immediately. "Didn't mean to make you fall." He winked at her as she took his hand. Maya blushed while Josh pulled her back onto her legs, steadying her with an arm around her waist. 

  
"Thanks," she said in a small voice, still flustered from his wink. 

"Did he just... apologize?" Smackle managed to get out. 

  
"I think so," Riley whispered. "He has never apologized before. For anything."

  
"You' sure?" Farkle asked with a raised eyebrow. As Riley looked at him, something flickered in her eyes, something close to realization. She shook her head once and then sent Farkle a small smile. He just nodded his head in return and gazed back at Josh and Maya again. 

With his arm still locked around Maya's waist, Josh led her off the ice and towards a food booth with his friends trailing behind. 

Riley watched them as they sat down with their food, starting a conversation and making each other laugh yet again. It made Riley smile as well, seeing her best friend so happy and, for what felt like the first time, she saw her uncle as someone she could be okay with being in her, and Maya's life. 

  
As the end of Valentine's Day neared, Maya felt a small wave of sadness washing over her. It was one of the best days she has ever had and desperately wanted to hold onto it a little while longer. Josh was leaning against the rink, standing in front of her with a content smile on his face while telling some funny stories out of his college life.

He talked about his friends, his classes, how he spent his free time skateboarding and how girls never left him alone. The last part made Maya's heart stop for an entirely different reason and as Josh saw the look in her eyes, he started laughing.

"No need to be jealous, Maya," he had said to her. The blonde narrowed her eyes at him and his laugh only intensified.

  
"I am _not_ jealous." Even she didn't believe herself.

  
"Hmhm." Josh gazed into her eyes with that look on his face again. Maya's heart had started to beat faster again and the blush was back on her cheeks. _God, why is this,_ he, _affecting me so much?_

  
As the rink closed and the sun had already fallen asleep, Maya and Josh walked hand in hand out of the tent, grinning just like every other couple on Valentine's Day. 

"Thank you for today, Maya," Josh said, giving her had a squeeze she happily returned. "This was truly one of the best days of my life."

  
"It was my pleasure," she laughed softly into the night. As he slowed down and stopped them from walking further, her laughter faded away. "What is it?" she questioned, looking back at him. 

  
"I..." _Is he nervous?_ "I have something for you," he finally managed to say. _Oh god, I think he's blushing._ Joshua Matthews was blushing for the very first time in his twenty years of living and it was because of a girl he has only known for a few hours.

Before Maya could say anything though, he reached into his bag slung over his left shoulder and brought out a single red rose. Maya gasped quietly and only heard her pounding heart ringing in her ears. 

Slowly, she reached out to take it into her shaking hand and locked eyes with him. His smile was so soft and pure and she had to stop herself from jumping around like a small girl. 

"Thank you, Josh." Maya's smile couldn't possibly get any bigger. He just shrugged but couldn't hide his blush in time. She still saw it and had to stifle a giggle; she still had to get used to the image of a blushing Joshua Matthews.

Happily, she jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. Josh quickly recovered from his surprise and put his arms around her waist, holding her even tighter. Softly, he kissed the top of her head and rested his chin on her cap.

A cough from behind caused them to separate. At the same time, they both looked around and were shocked to see Riley Matthews with a small smile on her face, watching them a few feet away. 

"Hey, there." This certainly wasn't the greeting she had planned but it was the only thing that came out of her mouth at that moment. Ever since she witnessed her uncle helping Maya off the ground and apologizing to her because he was the reason she fell, she thought about what to say to the both of them. 

Her fight with Maya had been hard and it didn't happen often but it still stung to fight with her best friend. Still, Riley knew she could make it okay. 

Josh was a different book; she spent all her years being ignorant towards him, trying to act as though he didn't exist. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and can't be solved with a simple _I'm sorry_ and _I'll try to be better._ So, Riley had tried to think of something, anything, to make this okay but couldn't come up with something. 

Nothing would be enough, she had to keep that in mind. 

That was why she decided to make a start, at least, to show she tried to change herself. 

"Riley?" Maya spoke with a shocked face. "You're still here? I thought you left with the others." Smackle, Farkle, and Lucas left but Riley wanted to stay until she got the chance to speak with her uncle and her best friend. This was something she needed to do as soon as possible, ready or not. 

  
"I didn't leave, no." She shook her head as she spoke. "There is something I need to do first." With sad eyes and trembling hands, she carefully walked over to them, keeping her eyes on them the whole time. "Just hear me out, please."

Josh stared at Maya's face, trying to find out what she thought about Riley's proposition but her face gave nothing away. The blonde was deep in thought, looking at the girl she has known for so long, yet felt like she didn't know her at all. Maya glanced briefly at the boy who still stood right next to her and gave him a small nod. Riley sighed in relief and braced herself for the words she carefully prepared for this. 

"Thank you, Maya." The blonde didn't say anything and it made Riley even more nervous. "First, I apologize for practically dragging you to this place. Of course, I know, that you don't like the rink because of your childhood. Believe me, _I know._ Because you cried to me because of it and I'm so sorry for bringing you here." Josh glanced at Maya, concerned about the things Riley said. "I just..." Riley took a deep breath. "I wanted to spend this day with my friends and since you're my best friend, I wanted you to be here today, too. Though it's Valentine's Day, I still brought you here, and, honestly, I don't know why. You hate this day. You're the only single in our friend group and I just- I didn't think, it'd be such a big deal, you know? I just wanted us to spend some time together, as friends."

  
"Didn't feel like it," Maya finally said. "You could've just _talked_ to me, you know? It's not like I don't want you all to be in a relationship. I just hate to be the third wheel when I'm doing something with you or with Smackle. Farkle and Lucas are always there and, when you say we do something without the boys, they always join us at some point. I'm sick of it!"

  
"I'm sorry, Maya." Riley was crying now. "I really am."

  
"What about the others? Smackle doesn't want to apologize, I guess?"

  
"No... no, she wants to, she just thought it'd be better if she gives you some time," Riley offered a small shrug. Maya wasn't as mad as Riley thought she would be and it scared her even more. The blonde merely nodded in response, staring at the ground with furrowed brows. "Josh." The brown-haired boy looked at his niece, a cold expression on his face. "I don't even know where to start. I... I've been horrible to you-"

  
"True," he said. Josh looked at her with a sharp expression in his eyes. That certainly didn't help to calm Riley's nerves.

  
"I know. I want to apologize... but I know, it wouldn't be enough, not even close. I tried to think of something to say to you but it can't make up for the way I've been to you. Just know that I am sorry for it and I'll do anything to make it okay. I promise," she said with a shaking voice.

  
"Why?" Josh saw the confusion in her eyes as she stared at him. "Why now? Why did you even think I'm horrible?"

  
"I don't know," she said truthfully. "I guess, I was jealous."

  
"Jealous? Of me?" Riley nodded. 

  
"My dad always talked about you, especially as you made it into College. He was so proud and couldn't think about anything else, for months he just talked about his little brother and I was so annoyed," she laughed humorlessly at that. "When we were younger, you always got the attention, from everyone. There wasn't a single person in our family who didn't like you-"

  
"Besides you."

  
"Yeah, besides me," she agreed. "The adults gushed over you at every family gathering and I was ignored. It was like I wasn't even _there_ ," she took another deep breath and looked at Josh. "But today I saw you, probably for the first time. You seemed like a nice guy and I realized, so many years later, that I don't hate you. I never have. You just had something I never had and... I envied you. So, of course, I was angry as I saw you with my best friend."

  
"I never knew that, Riley." The brunette laughed at that.

  
"Yeah, well, how could you? I never talked to you," she whispered.

  
"Riles?" Maya stood in front of her now, crying as well. Riley looked into her eyes before pulling her best friend into a tight embrace, not letting her go for umpteen minutes. When they separated again, Josh walked over and Riley got nervous again. 

  
"I can't say that I'm forgiving you now, it will take some time."

  
"I understand."

  
"But..." he scratched the back of his neck. "I am willing to get to know you better." Riley squealed happily and hugged her uncle for the first time. Josh was surprised and the shocked look on his face pulled a laugh out of Maya. 

  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Riley couldn't stop the smile from breaking out. She felt lighter now. After letting go of Josh, she turned to Maya again. "Sleepover at my house?" she questioned, fiddling with her necklace nervously. Maya glanced at Josh quickly, a smile forming on her lips. She nodded at her best friend and was, once again, pulled into a tight embrace by Riley. "Awesome!" she then turned to Josh. "How about you come over for dinner tomorrow?" Josh seemed to be surprised, Maya as well.

  
"Sure, why not?" Maya grinned at him happily. 

  
"I'm staying 'til dinner tomorrow," the blonde stated, making them all laugh.

  
"Alright. You have to tell me everything from today, Maya," Riley said. 

  
"Will do. See ya tomorrow, Josh!" Maya went up to him, kissing his cheek with a smile on her face. Riley took her hand and they started to separate from Josh.

  
"Yeah, see you two tomorrow," he yelled after them, completely giddy at what Maya did.

  
"Bye, Uncle Josh!" Riley yelled back. They had already walked a few steps as Riley turned around again. "Oh, and, Josh?"

  
"Yeah?" He turned around as well.

  
"Happy Birthday!" The brunette sang. Josh grinned and laughed softly at Maya's shocked face. They stopped walking.

  
"Wait, you didn't tell me?!" The blonde exclaimed, staring at Josh in complete shock.

  
"Didn't have to. You already gave me the best present I could have ever imagined."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... what do you think? Shall I write these things more often because I sure as hell enjoyed it. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! :D  
> I hope you liked this one-shot and that I'll see you next time I post something. Bye! :)

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think so far? Liked it? I hope so! :D
> 
> Let me know if you have a wish for the second (and last) chapter, I still haven't written it. 
> 
> See ya!


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